Matt Bowen (NFP) on how he'd try to stop the Pats
 

Nice little piece (has a good comment on it as well):

Is there a scheme to limit the Patriots' TEs? | National Football Post

Re: Matt Bowen (NFP) on how he'd try to stop the Pats
 

I've seen this in many games this season but the Pats always beat it by out-executing.

Re: Matt Bowen (NFP) on how he'd try to stop the Pats
 

I had just finishing reading this and was going to post it. It's a good example of how teams do attack the Patriots but what he should have done to make the article really good is flip it and talk about how the Patriots combat such tactics by putting Gronk in motion which causes the defense to declare or putting AH in the backfield or setting the running back in motion out of or into the backfield, etc.

Re: Matt Bowen (NFP) on how he'd try to stop the Pats
 

Fact of the matter is you are relying on a LB to cover Rob Gronkowski in this scheme. He can just exploit the "bracket" coverage for a short crossing route. Or he can go deep if the FS comes up and tries to take away that short route.

There is no doubt in my mind that Gronk blows any linebacker in this league out of the water when they are covering him. I would love to see the Ravens use this scheme, so many holes.

Re: Matt Bowen (NFP) on how he'd try to stop the Pats
 

The problem with this is that it leaves both Welker and Branch in single coverage. Branch is in solo which means the corner on him will not get help. Bowen errs in calling this cover 7 an "essential need" on 3rd down when we know Welker is more often the go-to in that situation, especially in red zone.

Bowen thinks that walking the SS to the line and have him drop back or pick up the flat is appropriate, but to me it is just another case of what Hernandez calls "picking your poison." By isolating the safety help in that half of the field, he must choose between doubling Welker or Hernandez, not both. By aligning Welker and Hernandez so closely, you are going to allow for the rub which will set one of them free and complicate who the safety chooses to assist in the fist tech. My bet is that if you see that alignment in the red zone, it will be a stack, not a cluster.

Re: Matt Bowen (NFP) on how he'd try to stop the Pats
 

Like Patspsycho said this leaves Welker in single coverage. So sure you may slow down the TE's but what good is it when the Pats are marching down the field.

When you have 3 threats like Welker / Gronk / Hernandez somebody on the defense is going to have to win 1 on 1. Your best shot is single covering Hernandez but that doesn't guarantee success.